NASHVILLE,
Tenn. - Vanderbilt’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will look
to carry their success over from last season into the 2002-03
campaign; however the two teams will take on a combined 34
teams that were ranked in the top 75 of last year’s final
Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings.

The schedule for the men’s team, which finished last season
ranked No. 36 after making the second round of the NCAA Tournament,
is highlighted by home matches against No. 2 Georgia, No.
6 Tennessee and No. 8 Kentucky. All 11 teams in the Southeastern
Conference were ranked in the top 40 last season. Other conference
home matches include No. 12 Auburn and No. 18 Alabama.

The Commodores’ non-conference schedule includes home matches
against No. 21 Ohio State, who Vanderbilt defeated 4-3 in
the first round of the last year’s NCAA Tournament, No. 49
Louisville, No. 68 Furman, Charleston Southern, Tennessee-Martin
and Tennessee-Chattanooga. Head coach Ken Flach’s squad will
hit the road to take on in-state rival Middle Tennessee State,
who finished No. 32 in the final ITA rankings, No. 38 Tulane
and No. No. 43 Tulsa.

“We are very excited to get started,” head coach Ken Flach
said. “Our schedule has always been challenging, but I feel
we have a team in place that can meet the challenge.”

The men’s team returns six players from last year’s team,
including All-American Bobby Reynolds, two transfers and one
freshman.

After a successful 2001-02 season, which saw the Vanderbilt
women’s team finish with a national ranking of No. 7 and set
a school-record for wins with 27, the Commodores will face
another challenging schedule. A home match with No. 2 Florida
and road matches at No. 3 Georgia, No. 6 Duke and No. 12 Tennessee
highlight head coach Geoff Macdonald’s schedule.

Other home conference matches against No. 35 Mississippi,
No. 51 Louisiana State, Arkansas and South Carolina will also
be on the team’s slate. The non-conference home schedule includes
matches with No. 21 Georgia Tech, No. 26 South Alabama, No.
52 Iowa, No. 57 Virginia, No. 62 Michigan State, No. 63 Middle
Tennessee State and No. 74 Tulsa. Pennsylvania, who concluded
the 2001-02 season ranked No. 58, is Vanderbilt’s only other
non-conference away match. The Commodores will take on the
Quakers in Durham, N.C.

“We're playing a tough non-conference schedule to prepare
for the SEC teams,” Macdonald said. “We look forward to the
challenge and the stiff competition.”

Macdonald returns six players from last season’s team, including
All-Americans Sarah Riske and Aleke Tsoubanos, and one incoming
freshman.